Books

Wanna Whole Lotta Zep?

Wanna Whole Lotta Zep?

Anthrax's Frank Bello Brings the Noise—and the Memories

Anthrax's Frank Bello Brings the Noise—and the Memories

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Children's Book Details the Journey of Willie and Bobbie Nelson

By Bob Ruggiero
Nov 22, 2021

In an era where facts can be “alternative” and the political divide in the Lone Star State is yawning to an epic gap, there’s at least one thing that almost all Texans can agree upon: Willie Nelson is a state treasure. Hell, the most famous son of Abbott a national...
Alan Walden's Song of the South with Otis, the Allmans, and Lynyrd Skynyrd

By Bob Ruggiero
Nov 19, 2021

If you had to compare the size of a city to level of musical influence, it would be hard to beat the yawning gap of Macon. After all, it’s there in “The Heart of Georgia” where Little Richard honed his performing chops, Otis Redding brought his deep R&B and soul...
An All Access Ticket to the Rock Show—From Those Who Were There

By Bob Ruggiero
Nov 18, 2021

It’s common among a performer or band’s superfans to note something along the lines of “Yeah, their studio albums are great. But you really need to see them live.” Outside of the different sheen a live performance can put on a song though, that’s not the reason people go to...
Robby Krieger Opens the Doors of His Memories

By Bob Ruggiero
Oct 25, 2021

Of all the classic rock bands, the Doors might have the most solid connection with literature. After all, they were named after Aldous Huxley’s must-have-hippie-bookshelf-title The Doors of Perception. Singer Jim Morrison wrote reams of poetry and lyrics, anthologized in this year’s The Collected Works of Jim Morrison. The late...
It's Not Easy Being B. The Trailblazing Reign of B.B. King.

By Tom Richards
Oct 14, 2021

Multiple generations of blues artists were represented at the "Red, White, and Blues" concert at the White House...
Poe Disinterred in Nevermore: Tales of Edgar Allan Poe at Classical

By D. L. Groover
Oct 9, 2021

What better author to usher in Halloween then Edgar Allan Poe, America's premier Gothic writer whose numerous works, if monetarily unsuccessful, include science fiction, detective stories, and tales of grisly, supernatural, and disturbing psychological disorders. After being shuttered for a year and a half, Classical Theatre Company throws open its...
Meet the Dead this Halloween with Spirit Fire

By Jef Rouner
Oct 6, 2021

Halloween is a time to snuggle up in a comfy chair and read ghost stories. Houston horror author Susan McCauley has a wonderful set in her Ghost Hunters series. The latest book, Sprit Fire, was just released in September. “I always wanted to write a middle grade ghost story,” she...
Purple Prose and Pictures Tell a Prince's Tale

By Bob Ruggiero
Oct 4, 2021

Since the sudden and shocking death of Prince in 2016, there have been several books released on the Purple One. Among them the bios and photo books like My Name is Prince, Prince: A Private View and Nothing Compares 2 U; detailed works on his studio sessions and a memoir...
The Many Mugs of Stevie Van Zandt Come Together in New Memoir

By Bob Ruggiero
Sep 27, 2021

When talking to the multi-hyphenate man Stevie Van Zandt, it’s a challenge to pick just which version of him to discuss first. The guitarist/best bud of Bruce Springsteen and core member of the E Street Band who also has a thriving solo career? The actor in groundbreaking cable series like...
Another Go at Led Zeppelin in Beast, the Story of Drummer John "Bonzo" Bonham

By Tom Richards
Sep 21, 2021

Ah, the drum solo. Its arrival means different things to different people. Some view it as the perfect time for a bathroom break. Others are excited by the opportunity to grab a quick snack at the concession stand. And then there are those who are transfixed by the proceedings, checking...
The Smallest of Bones is Grim, Beautiful Poetry

By Jef Rouner
Sep 21, 2021

Holly Lyn Walrath is Houston’s most darksome poet. Her previous collection, Glimmerglass Girl was a masterpiece of sharpness and reflection, dealing with feminine themes and focused on predation. Her latest release, The Smallest of Bones, further dives her deep into all kinds of dark places, and though the ride is...
Hell, Horror and A Headless Exotic Dancer Populate Just Some of Stranger Words

By Margaret Downing
Sep 15, 2021

In "New Game," part of his just-released new collection of short horror stories entitled Stranger Words, book author and journalist Jef Rouner explores a story eerily similar to one most Houstonians and Texans know. The protagonist, Charles Hewer, is a young man who's gone to Hell for doing dreadful things...
John Mellencamp's Life of Roots, Rock and Rebellion

By Bob Ruggiero
Aug 31, 2021

It’s telling about John Mellencamp that his nickname, “Little Bastard,” is not only a sobriquet that he revels in, but does his damnedest to live up to. His tough-as-nails/loud-as-a-motorcyle-engine persona and songs have helped define an image and put him on the same shelf as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger and...
The Drive-By Truckers Book a Road Trip of Music and Geography

By Bob Ruggiero
Aug 27, 2021

First, let’s start off with that name. It was never meant to stick, only a dark humor-laden joke among band members for a group whose sound, home base, and even lineup were meant to be fluid back when it all began in 1996. “If we had known people were going...
The Metal Magic of Ronnie James Dio Shines in Posthumous Autobiography

By Bob Ruggiero
Aug 19, 2021

When Ronnie James Dio—announced in 2009 that he had stomach cancer, it certainly gave him an impetus to complete the autobiography that he’d been working on for a while. He’d already had a sizable chunk of the manuscript written down in what his widow Wendy Dio said was his “beautiful...
Classic Rock Titans and Friends: Harrison and Clapton

By Bob Ruggiero
Jul 27, 2021

One of rock and roll’s most enduring friendships was between George Harrison and Eric Clapton. From December 1964 when they first crossed paths during a Beatles Christmas show at London’s Hammersmith Odeon (Clapton was playing with the Yardbirds) up to Harrison’s 2001 death, the pair shared recording studios, concert stages,...
A Tale of Houston and Free Flying Through Space

By Jef Rouner
Jul 15, 2021

Bruce McCandless II is the most famous man you probably don’t recognize despite having seen him thousands of times. That’s him above in one of the most iconic photographs ever taken during the space age. In the futuristic year of 1984, he did what no one ever had when he...
Everclear Revisits a '90s "Summerland" on Festival Tour

By Bob Ruggiero
Jul 6, 2021

He's most associated with cities on the far west coast like Portland, L.A., and "Santa Monica." But if Art Alexakis says from the stage that “It’s great to be back in Houston,” he wants you to know it’s not just rote stage banter; he means it. Beginning in the spring...
Bellaire High School Teacher Writes A Book About Dubsmash, TikTok and Dancing With His Students

By Margaret Downing
Jun 23, 2021

Dr. Trevor Boffone, the Bellaire High School Spanish teacher who embraced the music and dance of many of his students at the school, has written a book involving that experience and ways of building community through social media due to be released on July 2 Renegades: Digital Dance Cultures from Dubsmash...
Chris Thomas King Writes Fiery Reassessment of Blues History and Meaning

By Bob Ruggiero
Jun 21, 2021

Every so often, a music book comes along that challenges the work which precedes it, creates much discussion (and sometimes consternation), and causes both proponents and detractors to either reexamine or double down on long held beliefs. This book, by folk-blues-rap artist Chris Thomas King, certainly fits that description. Something...